The countdown has begun to a new state-of-the-art liquid milk processing facility which is expected to open in the Pembrokeshire Creamery in the first quarter of 2024.

The announcement has been timed with Pembrokeshire Creamery’s attendance at the Pembrokeshire County Show (August 16 and 17), when there will be an opportunity for dairy farmers and potential milk customers to meet its senior team and find out more about the planned opening.

Pembrokeshire Creamery Ltd will have the capacity to bottle 60 million litres of milk in its initial 12-18 month phase, building to 120 million litres per year when it reaches full capacity.

This will give UK supermarkets the opportunity to offer their Welsh customers milk that is both sourced and bottled in Wales, rather than being transported to England for processing, which is the current position.

By removing the need for Welsh milk to be transported to bottling plants in England, Pembrokeshire Creamery will be able to reduce food miles and increase supply chain efficiency.

Local processing will also create an estimated 60 new jobs at the Haverfordwest site in Phase 1 as well as securing or creating employment in ancillary industries and supply chains, while providing an overall benefit to the local farming economy and rural communities.

Pembrokeshire Creamery’s management team will be at the Pembrokeshire County Show at Stand A25, led by managing director Mark McQuade.

“We’ve already had a huge amount of interest from supermarkets and wholesalers that are keen to sell Welsh milk that’s been bottled here in Wales,” he said.

“We’re hoping that our presence at the show will be an opportunity for dairy farmers, customers or other suppliers to make connections and for us to start building the business relationships which will translate into long term economic benefits for Welsh farming and our rural economy.

“Ultimately, our end goal is for all Welsh milk that is sold in Wales to have been processed and bottled in Wales too,” he said.

Pembrokeshire Creamery is inviting any dairy farmers interested in finding out more about the project to visit them at the Show or to contact the company via pembrokeshirecreamery.com.

The development of Pembrokeshire Creamery has been supported by the Welsh Government and the EU RDP-funded Food Business Investment Scheme. Additional funding has been supplied by HSBC.